


Rock Lee: The Leaf's Handsome Devil and Expert Matchmaker

by anaphiel



Category: Naruto
Genre: Bad Matchmaking, I'm so sorry Neji, M/M, Mutual Pining, Tropes, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2018-12-13 13:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11760678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anaphiel/pseuds/anaphiel
Summary: When another rejection from Sakura leaves Lee disheartened, Guy gives him a little advice: sometimes you have to help others find love before you can find it for yourself. And come to think of it, Neji's been a little down lately. If anyone could use some love in their life, it's him.Or: the one where Neji gets set up on lots of dates, but not the date he most wants to be on.





	1. Chapter 1

If Neji and Tenten were to sit down together and really, _really_ think through all of the embarrassing moments they’ve witnessed over the years, they probably wouldn’t be able to remember them all. Being on a team with both Might Guy _and_ Rock Lee, you get tangled up in too much absurdity to keep track of, from loud, gushing speeches to publicly issued challenges with cringe-worthy consequences. For the most part, though, neither of them mind. They’ve long since been desensitized to it.

This, though. This is just sad.

Tenten and Neji stand at the top of a large hill, watching Lee roll and tumble his way to the bottom. The three of them had just made it back into the village after a long mission when Lee spotted Sakura’s pink hair on the busy street below. With a wink, a thumbs up, and a “Wish me luck!” he’d started picking his way down the hill only to slip on a muddy spot four steps in.

Lee pops to his feet the second he’s stopped rolling and brushes himself off, turning back to give Neji and Tenten another thumbs up before continuing on like barrel-rolling fifty feet downhill had been his plan all along.

“It can’t get worse after that, at least,” Tenten says. She finds a spot on the grassy hill and sits, patting the ground next to her. This could take a while. She knows it, and Neji knows it. That’s why, with a sigh that comes all the way from the tips of his toes, Neji drops onto the grass and brings his knees up to his chest.

“I think you underestimate Lee.”

In silence, they watch Lee run after Sakura, yelling her name and waving his arms to get her attention. She can’t be more than twenty feet away from him but she pretends not to hear, instead pushing her way through the crowded street as quickly as she can without breaking into a sprint. Sakura, poor thing, is no match for Rock Lee, who manages to maneuver his way in front of her to cut her off. Neji and Tenten sit too far away to hear what he says, but it involves several thumbs up and a lot of enthusiastic arm waving.

“Sakura-san,” Tenten guesses, lowering her voice to mimic Lee’s, “You will not believe the mission we have just returned from! I believe you would be most impressed with how well I fought.”

Neji snorts. When Tenten looks over at him, he’s smiling. “You sound too stiff.”

“I do not! _Lee_ sounds stiff; _I_ sound just like him,” Tenten huffs, crossing her arms.

“You also sound too braggy for Lee,” Neji says. When Tenten looks at him, he’s smiling.

“Alright, I’ll give you that one.” A few seconds pass, and Tenten continues, “I wish to impart on you my most ardent admiration and adoration, Sakura! Please go on a date with me! I’ll— Neji, aren’t you going to join in?”

“Not this time.”

“Fine,” Tenten says. She kicks at a patch of grass. When Lee _just keeps_ talking, she continues, adopting her Lee-voice again, “Guy-sensei says that romance is one of the many wonders of youth!” Tenten pitches her voice back up, mimicking Sakura now. “How many times do I have to tell you, Lee, I’m a good friend of Tenten’s and she would never _really_ make fun of me, but I have terrible taste in men and just can’t appreciate your charms.”

Tenten steals another glance at Neji. He’s _almost_ smiling, now, which Tenten counts as a win. Neji gets pouty when Lee, Sakura, and _flirting_ all run together. He’s still sitting stiffly, arms crossed and gaze fixed unblinkingly down on the street, but the smile is something.

It isn’t long before Sakura’s apparently had enough. She cuts Lee off and says something that involves even more hand-waving than Lee had been doing, and probably a fair amount of yelling as well. Then she storms off. Lee, apparently genuinely surprised by this development, stares after her before looking helplessly up at Tenten and Neji, who, using their shinobi reflexes, quickly pretend they hadn’t seen it all go down.

“Poor Lee,” Tenten says, suddenly very fascinated with the clover patch on the grass next to her. Neji harrumphs and lays back on the grass.

Lee climbs up the hill back to them, careful not to slip.

“Lee?” Tenten asks when he gets close enough. “Are you okay?”

Lee doesn’t answer, just works his way into the small space between them and lies face-first in the grass. His jumpsuit is covered in mud and grass stains, and Neji plucks a blade of grass out of his hair, his focus intense and his expression murderous. Tenten sighs. Now she has _two_ grumpy teenage boys to deal with.

Neji might just kill her if she hurts Lee further, but she’s seen Lee get rejected too many times not to be a little frustrated. “Why don’t you just give it up, Lee?” she asks. “Sometimes people just don’t like people back,” Tenten says, biting her tongue when she sees Neji flinch.

Lee mumbles something into the dirt.

“Huh?”

Neji sighs. He translates for Tenten, “Love never gives up.”

Lee tries to give Neji a thumbs up, but because of the angle he’s laying at, it looks like a thumbs down. Lee drops his hand and mumbles something else into the mud. Whatever he says makes Neji sit up and turn to face Lee.

“What do you mean, you ‘don’t blame her?’” Neji snaps, his scowl several shades darker than it had been just moments ago. “Sakura would be _lucky_ to date you.”

Lee mumbles something else, and Neji’s expression softens. “What’s gotten into you?”

“There you three are!” a new voice says, loud enough to startle away the birds that had settled near the trio. Neji’s head snaps up and Tenten breaths a sigh of relief. If anyone can fix this, get Lee back in high spirits, it’s _him_. She looks over her shoulder to find Might Guy standing on the path, hands on his hips and a bright smile on his face.

“I’m glad I caught you before you—,” Guy breaks off with a laugh when he sees Lee. “Lee, don’t tell me you tried training _more_? Ah, the ardor of youth. I remember when I—,”

“No, Sakura rejected him again and he’s moping,” Tenten interrupts before Guy can launch into a speech about youth and rivalry.

Lee mumbles something.

“You _are too_ moping,” Neji says. His hand hovers near Lee’s back, like he wants to comfort but doesn’t know how.

“I see.” Guy stares at Lee’s back, his eyes uncharacteristically serious. When his gaze drifts from Lee to Neji, Neji yanks his hand back. He’s still looking at Neji when he says, “The sting of young love.”

Neji blushes and opens his mouth to protest, but Guy cuts him off with a shout of, “Lee! Come with me! I want to talk to you.”

Even in his current state, Lee can’t resist a direct request from Might Guy. With a long, wistful sigh, he pushes himself to his feet and follows Guy back the way they came, leaving a concerned Neji and Tenten behind.

 

Guy walks silently down the path, Lee trailing behind him. It’s early spring, the time of life, of love, of youth. All around them, trees are budding, flowers are blooming. A couple of children play in the street and somewhere nearby, hidden from their sight, a bird whistles a merry tune.

Guy takes a deep breath, basking in the cool evening air, then looks back at his dejected pupil. These should be the best days of Lee’s young life, but instead, he looks miserable. Figuring this is as good a place as any, Guy whirls around to face Lee and puts up a fighting stance. He’s outlined against the brilliant pinks, oranges, and yellows of a magnificent sunset, a sunset that casts its warm glow across his shoulders, his hair, and all the world around them.

“So you’re having problems with love, hm?” he asks, pouring all the reassurance, confidence, and understanding he can into his voice. This dramatic start to Guy’s speech has Lee perking up slightly. Still, Guy hasn’t seen him this bad since the first chuunin exams. This situation will require a gentle hand.

Lee’s eyes widen and he nods vigorously. “Yes, Guy-sensei!” he says with breathless awe.

Guy nods once, more to himself than to Lee. Then, he whacks Lee across the head with all the strength he can muster, which ends up being strong enough to knock Lee to his knees. “Pull yourself together, Lee!”

Lee looks up at Guy, tears welling in his eyes. “Guy-sensei?” he asks.

Guy crouches in front of Lee and grabs him by the shoulders, blinking back the tears that threaten his own vision. He can’t start crying, too; Lee needs him to be strong right now. “I _know_ love is hard, Lee. Believe me, I know. But you can’t lose hope like this!”

“It’s just so hard, sensei!” Glistening tears stream freely down Lee’s face now. “I know Sakura would love me if she just gave me a chance!”

“Listen to me, Lee,” Guy begins, shaking Lee once for emphasis. He needn’t have bothered; Lee is hanging on his every word. “Love is a dangerous thing, which I suspect you’ve begun to discover. When your love is returned, it’s...Lee, there isn’t anything quite like it. But on the other hand, unrequited love is one of the acutest pains this world has to offer. Love is a coin with two sides. A knife that cuts both ways. A...a…” Guy trails off. He’d run out of metaphors.

He’s not entirely sure where he’s going with any of this, but he can’t stop now because Lee is enraptured by what he’s saying, feeling more and more uplifted the more Guy says. His tears have stopped flowing, and he’s even doing that thing where he repeats some of Guy’s more impactful words to himself in a whisper, like “unrequited love” and “acute pain” and even “coin with two sides.”

“Uh..right. As I was saying, Lee, it’s a shinobi’s responsibility not to get too caught up in the emotion of it all and to see things as they are. Sometimes, people just aren’t compatible with the people they want to be compatible with. And that’s okay. In fact, _sometimes_ , you can find what you’re looking for if you recognize that and turn to someone else. Have you ever considered anyone else, Lee?”

Lee blinks. “Considered anyone else? What do you mean, Guy-sensei?”

“I mentioned the pain of unrequited love, earlier,” Guy begins slowly. Lee nods. “There are lots of people who feel that pain every day, and—,”

“That is terrible,” Lee interrupts. “I wish no one ever had to feel this way.”

“Right.” Guy fixes Lee with a stern stare. “ _As I was saying_ , there are lots of people who feel that pain every day, and sometimes they do it without anyone knowing. Not everyone’s as upfront about their feelings as you or I, Lee, so you never know who’s feeling the sting of unrequited love. It can be the people you care about, the people closest to you. And sometimes, those people are exactly who you need…”

Considering Lee’s blank expression, Guy realizes this approach might not get him anywhere. Tact has never been his specialty, and _understanding_ tact has never been Lee’s. He huffs and drops from his squat to sit on the ground in front of Lee, his joints thanking him for this new position. He decides to tackle this from another angle.

“You can’t force love, Lee. You have to let it catch you by surprise, when you’re least expecting it and only when you’re ready for it. Sometimes, those other people who are hurting—,”

Lee jumps to his feet and pumps a fist into the air. “I understand what you’re saying now, Guy-sensei!”

“You do?!”

“Yes! You’re saying that in order to find love, I must help someone else find it first!”

“Yes!” Guy jumps to his feet as well, mirroring Lee’s position. A second later, he drops his arm. “Wait, no—,”

“You’re so smart, Guy-sensei! Only by doing something as selfless as helping another fall in love will I be ready for it myself! I will not fail you! I will find the people close to me that are hurting and help them on their quest to find love!”

“No, Lee, that’s not what I…” Guy trails off. Lee is back to his usual enthusiastic self, thoughts on the goal ahead and far from Sakura’s rejection. That’s what Guy had wanted, after all. He gives Lee a thumbs up and his widest smile. “I know you can do it, Lee!”

For a second, it looks like Lee is going to cry again, but he just wipes his sleeve across his face and bows before running off to rejoin Neji and Tenten.  


 

On Lee’s way back to his teammates, he thinks on what Guy-sensei said to him. Who can he help? Of the people close to him, who _deserves_ to find love? No, that’s an easy question. All of them. They all deserve to find love. But who needs Lee’s help the most?

Neji, of course. It takes Lee about two seconds to decide that it has to be Neji. Neji’s the greatest person Lee knows, _including_ Guy-sensei, but as far as Lee knows, he’s never dated anyone. In fact, as far as Lee knows, he’s never even _shown interest_ in anyone, which is especially ridiculous considering half the people their age—guys _and_ girls—have been interested in Neji at some point. In Lee’s humble opinion, it should be _more_ than half. _Everyone_ should be interested in Neji.

And come to think of it, Neji’s been down recently. Lee had been so busy courting Sakura that he hadn’t even noticed! He stops running and makes a fist to himself. This is exactly what Guy-sensei was talking about. Lee has been so caught up in his own quest for love that he’s been neglecting the happiness of his best friend and rival.

Yes, Neji could benefit greatly from having someone special in his life, having someone that makes him happy. Lee feels a little strange, thinking about Neji dating someone, but that’s probably just because he and Neji are close enough to be brothers. Of course it feels strange. Neji probably feels the same way about him and Sakura.

But who to set Neji up with?

Lee finally finds his friends, slowing before they notice him. Lee watches as Tenten says something and laughs, whatever she said managing to pull a small smile out of Neji. Lee’s heart swells with fondness at the sight and he knows what he needs to do.

Lee will set Neji up with Tenten! If he fails, then… then he will do five hundred pushups!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it physically pains me to include this many exclamation points in my writing

Lee sighs and runs his fingers along the grain of the wooden bench he’s sitting on. He turns his attention to his hand, clenches and unclenches his fist and debates unwrapping and re-wrapping his wrists for the third time that morning. He’s never been particularly good at sitting still when there are things to be done, but it’s especially hard today.

He looks up at his teammates. Neji and Tenten sit several feet apart, neither so much as glancing at the other while they pass the time, Tenten organizing and tagging her weapons and Neji finger-combing through his hair, getting ready to braid it. How do they stay so cool? Lee had no idea people could contain their love like this. If Guy-sensei hadn’t tipped him off, he never would have guessed either of them loved anyone.

Neji, gathering all of his hair together, glances up from his task to find Lee staring. He blinks. Lee doesn’t. They sit and stare at each other for almost a minute, until Lee notices that the tips of Neji’s ears are turning a bright red. He opens his mouth to point it out, but before he can, Neji snaps, “Stop staring like that, Lee. It’s creepy.”

“Oh. Right!” Lee throws Neji a thumbs up by way of apology, then averts his gaze. Neji goes back to braiding, and Lee goes back to being  _ bored. _ He wishes he could just set his plan into action already, but love is a delicate thing, and it requires a delicate hand. This will be one of Lee’s greatest challenges yet!

Tenten stifles a yawn. After several years of these early morning training sessions, she still has trouble with them. Lee, though. Lee loves them. He loves having the training grounds to himself. He loves the crisp air, something about it soft and invigorating and  _ new _ all at once. He loves feeling the leftover night chill fading away into the heat of day. He loves pale pink glow of the morning sun, the dew, the birds. He loves watching the world wake up.

It’s like sharing a secret. Sharing a secret with the morning itself, and sharing a secret with his teammates. It’s not just training, it’s  _ bonding _ , building a camaraderie and understanding that the other teams don’t get. This time, when he sighs and fidgets, it’s Tenten’s attention that he catches.

“Why do you seem even more eager to get started than usual?” she asks.

“Oh, it’s not that,” Lee says. “Guy-sensei helped me realize something very important yesterday, and I am eager to explore the true extent of my newfound knowledge.”

Tenten’s brow creases, probably with concern, but Lee’s enthusiasm makes her smile anyway. Neji looks up from his braiding. “Oh? What was this realization?”

Lee jumps up from the bench he’s been sitting on and pumps a fist into the air. “That anyone can find love!”

Tenten’s smile smooths out and Neji returns to his braiding. He ties the braid off at the end with practiced efficiency, all of his attention seemingly devoted to the action. To anyone else, he probably seems completely disinterested, but Lee can see how closely he’s listening. Neji doesn’t have Lee’s natural optimism; he must need to hear Lee’s reassurances in this hard time, if he’s listening so intently.

“Well, it’s good to see you back to normal,” Tenten says. She goes back to organizing her weapons, but Lee won’t let this topic escape so easily. Now that the topic has been brought up, there are things that he can figure out -- things he  _ needs _ to figure out if his matchmaking project is going to work.

“Tenten,” he begins slowly. He had considered being diplomatic about this, but the best way to tackle any problem is to do it head-on! “Are you in love with anyone?"

Tenten drops her kunai. She steps out of the way before it lands on her foot and whirls to face Lee, her hands flying to her hips. “Lee! You don’t just ask a girl something like that!”

Lee is versed enough in Tenten’s various angry expressions to know she isn’t  _ really _ mad, but he takes a step back and throws his hands up anyway. “I’m sorry, Tenten! I did not realize it was such a sensitive question.”

“Oh, of course you didn’t,” Tenten says with a fond sigh. She picks up her kunai and points it at him. “Just think it through before you surprise someone with a question like that. No, I’m not in love with anyone.”

Lee nods and turns to Neji, who immediately freezes up. “Neji!”

“No.”

“Are you in love with anyone?”

“Yeah, Neji,” Tenten joins in, a tease in her voice that Lee doesn’t understand. He files it away to puzzle over later. “Are you in love with anyone?”

Neji glares at her before turning back to Lee. “No, Lee,” he says calmly. But Lee can tell the difference between actually-calm Neji and pretending-to-be-calm Neji, and this is the latter. “I am not.”

Lee squints.

“ _ What? _ ” Neji snaps.

“Your face is very red, that is all. Are you  _ sure _ you’re not in love?”

Neji claps his hands over his face, his glare murderous. Compared to Tenten’s, though, Neji’s anger doesn’t intimidate Lee. He just squints harder. “Shut  _ up _ , Lee.”

Lee throws his hands up again and smiles innocently. “Of course. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

Neji blinks, surprised at how easy that was, and Tenten hides a snicker behind a cough. Lee, for his part, sits back down and thinks through what he just learned. He believes Tenten. If she’d been lying, her reaction would have been more like...well, Neji’s. Lee glances at Neji, who’s still blushing furiously. Guy-sensei was right, then. Someone on the team  _ is _ experiencing the sting of unrequited love.

It  _ has to be _ Tenten that Neji is in love with, after all. He doesn’t pay enough attention to anyone outside their team for it to be anyone else. Still, if Guy-sensei hadn’t told Lee otherwise, he never would have guessed...

This proves one thing: Neji  _ needs _ Lee’s help! He’s never going to earn Tenten’s love if he carries on like this! Neji will never get anywhere if he keeps his love a secret! Lee makes a determined fist to himself, which Neji and Tenten side-eye before sharing a concerned look.

Knowing Tenten doesn’t feel the same way about Neji narrows Lee’s options. What can he do to help? What has worked in the past with Sakura? Well, there is another part of the problem. How can Lee help Neji and Tenten fall in love when he can’t even find love for himself?

Lee deflates at the thought. But then, Neji isn’t Lee. Making Tenten fall in love with Neji will be much easier than making Sakura fall in love with Lee. Sakura and Lee are...different. Even when  _ Lee _ thinks about it, sometimes, he admits that he and Sakura don’t fit together. But that’s what makes it such a challenge! That, and...Lee touches two scarred fingers to his eyebrows. He knows he’s not conventionally handsome. That can be hard to see past.

But Neji doesn’t have that problem! There’s no reason  _ not _ to love Neji! In fact, Lee can’t see why Tenten doesn’t love him  _ already _ . It’s possible she just hasn’t thought about him like that. After all, the three of them journeyed through the awkward stages of youth and adolescence together. Perhaps she just hasn’t realized what a handsome young shinobi he’s grown to be, a shinobi with soft hair and fascinating eyes and powerful and taijutsu and—

Lee doesn’t realize he’s staring at Neji until Tenten calls him out on it.

“Does Neji have something on his face, Lee?” she teases.

Lee jumps guiltily. “No, I—um. Neji! Spar with me until Guy-sensei arrives!”

Neji doesn’t argue, just stands and stretches languidly before following Lee out onto the training field. Lee pretends not to hear Tenten call “Ah, Lee! Now  _ you’re _ the one blushing!” after them.

When he gets far enough out that they’ll have space to fight but close enough that Tenten will be able to see, then he turns on his heel and prepares his stance, one hand behind his back and one extended toward Neji. If his theories are right, all he has to do is get Tenten to realize how attractive Neji is, and then Neji’s personal charms will do the rest! And what is more attractive than a good fighter?

Neji stops a few feet away and considers Lee for a moment before dropping into his own stance, and Lee wastes no time. He darts forward, faking left then twirling right, aiming a hit at Neji’s shoulder that Neji easily deflects. Lee breaks away and considers his next move. When he springs forward again, he swings an obvious kick at  Neji’s legs. The move move gives Neji an easy opening, but rather than take it, he jumps back out of the way.

Interesting. Taking those test shots into consideration, Lee tries to gauge Neji’s mood. His friend approaches sparring differently depending on how it’s feeling, and Lee has learned it’s best to get a handle on that mood immediately. Today, it’s low-energy deflections; Neji’s in no hurry to end this. If he was in a bad mood, or if he was feeling impatient, Lee would know by now.

“I know that’s not the best you can do, Lee.”

Lee hesitates, cocks his head to the side. Teasing. Neji’s in a  _ really _ good mood, then. That always means a fun fight for Lee, but it also means Neji won’t be taking this seriously, which will  _ not  _ be good for impressing Tenten. Lee will have to draw Neji out, then, showcase his talent. Maybe he can even provoke Neji into using gentle fist, something Neji rarely uses in a low-stress match like this.

Lee rolls past Neji to get behind him. When he pops up, he glances over at Tenten, and — and she’s not even looking! Why wouldn’t she be looking? Well, Lee will make sure she does. But how to get her attention? He darts in close to Neji, dodging Neji’s attack— a swing that’s almost  _ playful _ , Lee is dismayed to realize— and strikes at Neji in a flurry of hits, his speed consciously reduced so that Neji has a chance at blocking them all.

“Very efficient technique, Neji!” Lee shouts loud enough for Tenten to hear.

Neji’s eyes widen, and even with Lee’s reduced speed, fails to block Lee’s next hit. It’s a hard strike to the chest, which sends Neji staggering back a few feet. He recovers quickly and sinks back into his defensive stance, but Lee jumps back. While Neji’s recovering from the hit, Lee uses the stolen moment to glance back and — yes! Tenten is watching now! Better make the next round good.

Normally, Lee fights his matches almost entirely on the offensive, but especially so with Neji. Neji’s too smart to compromise his defense considering Lee’s superior speed. Instead, he waits until Lee comes to him, then strikes quickly and decisively. It’s a shame; when forced on the offensive, Neji is elegant and predatory. It is truly a sight to see.

Lee plants his feet and returns to his first. Making it perfectly clear that this time, he won’t be making the first move, he smirks and extends one hand toward Neji.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lee sees Tenten sit up. His smirk widens to a grin. Success! He  _ knew _ that this would get Tenten to pay close attention! Neji narrows his eyes at Lee, and Lee can practically see his mind working, running through possible explanations for Lee’s erratic behavior.

That’s another difference in their fighting style, Lee notes: especially since his fight with Naruto, Neji thinks things through before acting. Lee, on the other hand charges in, his strategy to inflict as much damage as possible in a short amount of time. But not this time. Lee braces himself, ready for however Neji decides to attack.

Not  _ entirely _ ready, as it turns out-- he’s not prepared for Neji’s activation of the byakugan. Neji  _ rarely  _ uses it in their matches like this. But Neji activates it and leaps forward in a charge that makes Lee proud, and Lee barely manages to sweep back out of the way. Neji then takes advantage of Lee’s compromised balance to pounce again, hitting Lee in the same place Lee had hit him.

Lee retreats, laughs, and rubs his chest. He’s glad Neji’s not using the gentle fist;  _ that _ would have hurt. He strikes a defensive pose again. “Good one, Neji!”

“What are you up to?” Neji asks, cautiously closing some of the distance between them. One foot placed gently in front of the other, his muscles coiled and ready to act in case Lee should try anything. Lee’s reminded of some sort of stalking big cat, powerful and dangerous and calm.

“I am not ‘up to’ anything!” Lee protests indignantly, and Neji takes the opportunity to attack again, aiming for his thigh, then his chest, then his head, then his chest again. Lee dodges every hit with ease. He picks up speed, dodging and jumping and twirling out of the way of Neji’s attacks. They’re both getting swept up in the fight now, too focused on each other to bother doing anything but giving it their all.

Lee grins when one of his hits catches Neji’s shoulder, throwing off Neji’s balance. He can’t remember the last time they sparred like this, this intensely or this intimately. He realizes now how much he missed it. 

Neji curses and side-steps away, but Lee follows, and with the new position he catches a glimpse of Tenten, who’s watching the fight with wide eyes. That’s right. Lee is supposed to be making Neji look good, not getting carried away fighting his friend and rival.

Lee spins around Neji to get behind him and aims right for the byakugan’s blind spot, but Neji whirls and ducks out of the way before the hit can land, Lee letting him do so. Another low kick, then, which Neji easily jumps to avoid. He lands on the balls of his feet, twirls, and aims a high kick at Lee’s head in one fluid motion. Lee dances out of the way.

He takes this chance to shout another compliment, again loud enough for Tenten to hear. “You are very beautiful to watch, Neji!”

Neji balks at this, his eyes widening and the tell-tale signs of the byakugan immediately receding. Lee’s already mid-swing when Neji freezes up, his momentum carrying him forward, and Neji doesn’t even try to dodge. The punch hits him square in the stomach, sending him flying back into the grass with a muffled  _ oomph. _

Lee claps a hand over his mouth. He stands still for a second, unsure whether to laugh at the shocked expression on Neji’s face before he got hit or rush over and offer a thousand apologies, but then he hears Tenten cackling. The best option right now is damage control. Lee admittedly doesn’t know a lot about what girls like, but shinobi who are so easily distracted probably don’t fall high on the list.

“I’m sorry, Neji! You were, ah, fighting very well up that point! Your movements are so elegant and youthful!”

Neji lets out a groan that sounds a lot like “ _ What.”  _ He’s sprawled out on the ground, unmoving. When Lee inches closer, though, he throws an arm over his face. Lee glances nervously at Tenten, who’s still laughing. She’s going to remember Neji’s humiliation in this fight forever unless Neji does something to fix it.

“Neji, ah, are you alright?”

Neji peeks out from under his arm just enough to glare at Lee.

“You have been hurt worse and you know it,” Lee scolds. “Now get up and go back over by Tenten and help her with her weapons.”

Neji squints at Lee. “What, why? Why would I do that?”

“You are  _ hopeless, _ ” Lee says, jabbing a finger into Neji’s side. “At least tell her she looks pretty.”

Neji squirms a little when Lee pokes him and bats Lee’s bandaged arm away. “Why would I do that?”

“Do you not agree?”

“I—,”

“ _ TENTEN,”  _ Lee shouts, cupping his hands around his mouth, “ _ NEJI SAYS YOU’RE—OOMPH.” _

The air in Lee’s lungs comes rushing out when Neji tackles him. Lee’s first thought is that Neji must be continuing the match, bitter about his humiliation, but then Neji is straddling Lee and clapping a hand over his mouth.

“ _ What _ is going on with you today?” Neji hisses. He’s leaning over Lee, so close that the end of his braid tickles Lee’s neck. Lee can feel his face heating up. “I’m not getting off until you tell me.”

“Neji,  _ off _ ,” Lee mumbles into Neji’s hand.

“No,” Neji says, just putting more weight on Lee instead.

Lee does what he has to do. He licks Neji’s hand, expecting that to get Neji off him, but Neji just cringes and stays put. “What are you,  _ six _ ?”

“ _ HEY!” _

They both jump at Tenten’s shout, which comes from right next to them, not further up the field. They slowly look up to find her standing over them, hands on her hips. She’s clearly trying to keep a stern expression, but a smile threatens to break through. How many times had she tried getting their attention? Neji reluctantly moves his hand and climbs off Lee, and Lee sits up.

“I just wanted to ask, Lee, are you sure you had the right time? It’s not like Guy to be late.”

Lee nods, brushing some of the grass and twigs from his hair. “I’m sure Gai-sensei has a good reason for his tardiness, Tenten.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Tenten says. She glances between Neji and Lee, at the almost-nonexistent distance between them. “But I, uh...I have to run home and get something. If Guy-sensei shows up, cover for me.”

“Wait—,” Lee begins, but Tenten’s already running off. Lee looks at Neji to gauge how upset he is at Tenten’s departure, but he finds Neji staring at him instead. Lee blinks.

“Neji,” he begins slowly.

“Hm?”

“Now that Tenten’s out of earshot, if I may offer some constructive criticism regarding the end of that fight...”

Neji’s eyes widen and he punches Lee’s arm. “No. You may not.”

“Oh. Alright.” Lee brushes the dirt off his jumpsuit in an attempt to avoid Neji’s heavy gaze. His face still feels warm before, and the silence between them feels strained. It shouldn’t, though. Lee firmly believes that sparring with someone is the best way to get closer with someone, to clean the air between friends and to forge even deeper bonds, and he and Neji just had the best match of their lives. Was Neji embarrassed by Lee’s compliments? Or by the way the fight ended?

“That was a good hit,” Neji says, which is already strange, because Neji’s not usually the one to break the silence.

“Oh. I’m sorry about that. I expected you to dodge. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”

Neji sniffs and starts undoing his braid, which now has bits of grass and dirt in it. Lee wants to reach over and help pick them out. “I can handle a little hit, Lee. Though resorting to tacky distractions to win is low, especially for you.”

Lee gasps, outraged. “What! I would  _ never _ win a fight by dishonorable means! If— oh. You’re teasing me.”

Neji smiles at Lee, a full, wide, eye-crinkling smile. “Only a little,” he says.

Lee sticks his tongue out at Neji, knowing it’ll make Neji laugh but still feeling a little thrill when it does. Neji’s different when it’s just the two of them— softer, freer. Lee wonders if he’s like this with Tenten, too,surprised to find that the thought actually makes him feel a little sick. He’s always thought of this Neji as  _ his _ Neji. Maybe Tenten has her own version of Neji. She probably does. It’s Tenten Neji’s in love with, after all. Not Lee.

Why does that thought make him sad?

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in front of Tenten.”

“Hm?” Neji says, like the thought hasn’t even occurred to him. “Lee, nothing you do embarrasses me.”

“No, I mean —what, really?”

Neji blinks at him. “Is that surprising?”

“Yes, it is! I usually embarrass people.”

Neji looks away and shrugs. He almost sounds  _ fond _ when he says, “I’m used to you.”

Lee blinks back the tears that start to well in his eyes. It’s not the nicest compliment Neji’s payed him, but it’s the most unexpected. Lee’s so used to people not wanting to be seen with him, or associated with him, unless they have to be. Guy-sensei was always an exception, but only because he’s so over-the-top himself. A compliment like that coming from  _ Neji _ , though...

“Still, I meant...I’m sorry if I made you look bad in front of Tenten.”

Neji frowns at Lee. “I’ve looked worse in front of her. What does it matter, all of a sudden?”

“It’s okay, Neji,” Lee says, lowering his voice and moving into Neji’s space. In case Tenten gets back early, he tells himself. “I know.”

Neji leans back, eyes wide. “Know what?”

“Next time will be better! I won’t give up, and neither should you!”

“Give up at what?” Neji asks, suspicious now.

“Getting Tenten to fall in love with you!”

“ _ What?!” _

Lee sits up on his heels, which brings him even closer to Neji. “When she comes back, Neji, try to be a little  _ warmer _ with her. Be nice. Call her pretty. Compliment her mastery of weapons.”

Neji only stares at Lee, horrified.

The look derails Lee a little. “Um...get her gifts? Flowers, or a shuriken, or...”

“I don’t  _ want  _ Tenten to fall in love with me!” Neji yells, the sudden volume making Lee sit back, shocked. Neji doesn’t yell. Ever.

“You’re not in love with her?”

“ _ Of course I’m not in love with her. _ ” Neji over-corrects his earlier volume by hissing this so quietly Lee has to lean back in to hear.

“Why not? Do you not want to fall in love with someone you work so closely with? Is that it?”

“No! No, I don’t mind...that.”

“But Tenten is very lovely.”

Neji shrugs. “She’s not...my type.”

“Who are you in love with, then? Ino? I know she has expressed interest in the past—,”

Neji opens his mouth and shuts it again, unsure how to respond to that for a moment. “I’m not in love with Ino, either! Lee, stop!”

“But I am just trying to help you find —  _ oh _ ,” Lee says. His eyes go wide with shock, Neji’s with concern.

“Oh?” he breathes.

“I understand, now.”

So  _ that’s  _ why Neji always gets so strange when Lee flirts with Sakura. It’s not because he wants a love like that for himself, it’s because he wants  _ that love  _ for himself. Of course. How did Lee not realize sooner? It’s because...

“You are in love with Sakura as well.”

Neji looks like he wants to hit Lee over the head. “Lee—,”

Neji beaks off with something that could best be described as a  _ yelp _ when Lee grabs him by the shoulders in the same way Might Guy does when he has an important point to make. “Neji, I did not realize we were competing for Sakura’s affection. I do not wish to jeopardize the bonds of friendship we have between us. You mean more to me than any girl, even if she is my soulmate, so if—,”

Neji shoves Lee away, snarling, “I’m not in love with  _ Sakura _ .”

Lee is at a loss. He’s  _ sure _ , now more than ever, that Neji is in love with someone, but if it’s not Tenten, Ino, or Sakura, then who? Maybe...  _ oh _ . How could Lee be so insensitive? He’s just been considering the  _ wrong people. _

“I see what the problem is,” Lee says sagely.

Once again, Neji goes still. “You do?” His apprehension makes sense, now. He must worry Lee will disapprove. Lee’s a little hurt; of course he is more understanding than that.

Lee gives Neji a thumbs up and his most charming smile. “It’s not a problem with me!”

Neji is looking at him like he’s sprouted a second head. “It’s not?”

“Of course not! We can’t help who we fall in love with!”

Neji deflates a little. “I suppose not...”

“So it’s a boy, right?” Lee asks eagerly, excited now to be on the right track.

Neji blinks at him and waits to see if Lee’s going to add anything to that question. When he doesn’t, Neji rolls his eyes. “If I say yes, will you stop interrogating me?”

“No.”

“Then no.”

“But  _ Neji— _ ,”

“Oh,” Neji breathes, relieved, looking at something behind Lee. “They’re here.”

Lee cranes his neck to look over his shoulder, and spots Might Guy jogging over, a haggard Tenten trailing behind him. He looks back at Neji and reinforces his next promise with a thumbs up. “I  _ will _ get to the bottom of who you’re in love with, Neji, and I  _ will _ make sure they fall in love with you back, or else I’ll do  _ a thousand push ups! _ ”

“Please don’t,” Neji whines. Lee doesn’t have time to ask which part he means, because that’s when Guy reaches them.

“Sorry about the delay! I got caught up in a little early-morning competition with my rival. Now who’s ready to train?”


	3. Chapter 3

Lee’s face is the first Neji sees when he gets back to the Leaf Village after a week-long mission. Prior to seeing Lee, he’d been dragging his feet, forcing them onward, a feat made difficult by the exhaustion searing through his body and the pain hammering against his muscles. He’s not _hurt_ ; at least, not beyond the ache that comes from overexertion and a good fight. He _is,_ however, _filthy_ , covered in dirt courtesy of the messiest earth-style user he’s ever faced. Dried mud cakes his arms, legs, face, and clothes, layering a constant itch on top of the exhaustion and sore muscles.

He forgets all the discomfort when he sees Lee. Lee waits for Neji at the gates, shifting from leg to leg and practically vibrating with excitement when he finally sees Neji. He waves, a wide, over-extended gesture that uses his whole arm. Neji bites back a smile and waves back.

“You’re _late_ !” Lee shouts, even though Neji’s almost reached him by now. He’s clearly trying very hard to look stern, but as is always the case with Lee, the expression doesn’t come off as severe as he means it to. “You were meant to be back _hours_ ago!”

“Is _that_ why you’re here waiting? Lee, were you _worried_ ?” Neji teases. He’s not going to complain, of course. Coming back to Konoha is always a relief in itself, but Neji never feels like he’s _home_ until he’s seen Lee.

“Not so much _worried_ as _impatient_ ,” Lee says. He looks pointedly down at Neji’s uniform. “But maybe I should have been worried. Were there complications? You could have called for backup.”

“It was nothing we couldn’t handle,” Neji says. His teammates are coming up behind him, none of whom fared any better than himself. Genma caught the worst of the earth-style user’s wrath, almost none of his uniform visible beneath the mud. None of them smelled very pleasant at this point, but they all gave Genma the widest berth.

Lee clucks his tongue disapprovingly. “I see. Neji, you need to go clean up.”

“Why?” Neji asks, making a face.

“Because we’re going to dinner!”

“Why do I have to clean up to go to dinner?” Neji looks down at his uniform. Yes, he’s still dirty, but it would do for most of the usual places they ate at.

“Because...” Lee shuts his mouth and thinks it over. “Because...you will feel refreshed and will be better able to enjoy the meal! Yes, that’s it,” he says, looking pleased with the excuse.

“Right...I have to report to the Hokage first.”

Neji jumps when a hand suddenly lands on his shoulder. “No, don’t worry about it,” Genma says, smirking first at Lee, then at Neji. “I’m team leader; _I’ll_ report to the Hokage.”

“But you’re...”

Genma looks down at himself and shrugs. “I’ve made it this far like this; I can last a little longer.”

“Are you sure?” Neji asks. He doesn’t want to leave Genma to go to Tsunade alone, but then, dinner with Lee...

“Mhm,” Genma says. He winks at Neji. “Wouldn’t want this to get in the way of your dinner plans.”

Lee doesn’t wait for any more reassurances, grabbing Neji by the arm and dragging him away, but not before shouting a “Thank you very much!” over his shoulder. Fortunately, this means Lee doesn’t see the blush that’s spread across Neji’s cheeks. He just lets Lee drag him through Konoha, and Lee doesn’t seem to have any inclination of letting go.

There’s no Tenten to be seen, so Neji assumes it’ll just be the two of them. He tries to ignore the way his stomach knots in excitement at the thought. He doesn’t _mind_ Tenten’s presence, of course, but he’s not going to miss a chance to be alone with Lee.

Lee pulls Neji in the general direction of Neji’s apartment, but eventually slows down, drops Neji’s hand, and lets Neji take the lead. Soon enough, he stops following Neji entirely. Neji turns back to look at him and raises an eyebrow questioningly.

“Maybe it’s best if I wait for you here?” Lee asks.

“It’ll be easier if you just come up, won’t it? Then we won’t have to meet back up again.”

“Oh...yes. You are right.”

It’s not until Lee’s through the doorway of Neji’s apartment, looking around with wide eyes, that Neji realizes he can’t remember the last time Lee’s been here, _if_ he’s ever been here.

Unsurprising; Neji rarely has guests. Usually, when he spends time with his friends, it’s either in public or at Tenten’s place, which is cozier than Neji’s by far. He might not mind having guests if it was just Lee, but it never _is_ just Lee. It’s Lee and Tenten, or Lee and Tenten and _Guy_ , or Lee and Tenten and any number of their other friends.

The apartment, a small studio in a shinobi-only complex, is mostly bare, barely lived-in, but Lee looks around like it contains the wonders of the world. Neji snorts and brushes past him, ditching his vest before he even makes it to the small dresser against the opposite wall.

“I’ll just take a short shower,” he says, rifling through one of the drawers. He doesn’t even have to look to know that Lee is hovering awkwardly in the middle of the room, so he points at the futon. “Sit.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Lee sit.

For a moment, Neji debates bringing his clean clothes with him into the bathroom. He’s too conscious of Lee’s presence in this cramped room _not_ to. But then, this is _his_ apartment, and it’s nothing Lee hasn’t seen in the public baths. Leaving Lee perched on the futon— perched _right_ on the very edge of the futon— Neji slips into the bathroom, shuts the door behind him, and gets the water running. While waiting for it to warm, he ties his hair into a bun at the top of his head, just the _thought_ of taking the time to wash it— let alone comb it— right now making him more tired than he already is.

He’s been cut off from Lee’s refreshing presence for less than a minute and it’s already reminded him of the caked mud, of the dragging exhaustion, of the constant aches. His muscles scream in protest when he strips out of his uniform, leaving it on the floor to pick up _after_ sleep and _after_ recovery. When he finally slips under the hot water, feeling it part around him and soothe the wear and tear, he can’t help the sigh that slips past his lips.

He stand there in the shower for a long time, longer than he probably should with Lee waiting in the other room. He stand there and he tries not to think about Lee waiting in the other room, but then, he’s been trying not to think about Lee for years, and he’s not going to start succeeding now.

To distract himself, Neji sets to scrubbing all the caked mud off his body, probably being rougher with the scrubbing than he needs to. He works quickly to make up for the time he wasted standing around, and when he finally steps out of the shower, his skin is flushed pink. He fixes a towel around his waist before propping open the door to let the steam pool out.

Lee stares at him when he steps out of the bathroom, eyes first flicking up to Neji’s bun and the visible Hyuga seal, then down to the towel wrapped around his waist. He shifts uncomfortably on the futon.

“What’s the matter with you?” Neji asks. He holds tighter to the towel, Lee’s awkwardness spreading.

Lee twitches at the question and makes himself look away. “It is nothing.”

“Right,” Neji says slowly. In choosing not to bring a change of clothes with him into the bathroom, he’d failed to factor in the intimacy shift between the public baths and Neji’s small one-bedroom apartment. This space is too small for him to be standing in front of his crush of several years in nothing but a towel. He can feel his cheeks heating up, and he’s suddenly glad he’s still flushed from the shower. “I’m going to change.”

He grabs some clothes and retreats back to the bathroom. After he’s fully dressed, he props the bathroom door back open and calls out, “Why don’t we just get takeout? Or I could even make something here.”

Neji hears Lee shout, “ _No!”_ and the next second, Lee’s standing in the doorway, looking frantic. “We cannot! I mean, it’s just...I am not in the mood for takeout.”

Neji tries not to pout. He knows his place is somewhat...bare, impersonal, maybe, but he didn’t think it was was _that_ bad. He just nods and turns impassively back to the mirror, which is still fogged up with steam, and continues rearranging his hair around his headband.

“Neji?” Lee, still hovering in the doorway, asks.

“Hm?”

“Nothing. Nevermind. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I think so.”

Neji finds himself once again being dragged through the streets by an enthusiastic Lee, and it has him questioning his life choices. After the fourth or fifth time almost tripping over his feet in an attempt to keep up with Lee’s pace, Neji decides he’s had enough and digs his heels into the ground, refusing to let Lee pull him any further. The last time Lee had been _this_ shady, he’d been trying to set Neji up with _Tenten_.

“What’s got you so impatient, Lee?”

“Nothing, nothing! I am just, ah, hungry.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re up to something.”

“I most certainly am not!”

“Spill.”

Lee sighs. “Alright. But please hear me out.”

Neji narrows his eyes.

“I have finally figured out who you’re in love with!”

Neji sighs. So Lee hadn’t forgotten about that, then. For a minute there, Neji had hoped. “Is that so?”

“Yes! It was obvious, in the end.”

“Oh?”

They’re walking again, Lee keeping them moving at a quick pace, but thankfully no longer so quick that Neji has to jog to keep up. Lee makes a determined fist and looks back at Neji, a gleam in his eyes. “We’re going on a date!”

Neji stops walking. “What?” When Lee doesn’t stop, he jogs to catch up. “We are?”

“Oh! No, my apologies. That was misleading. _You’re_ going on a date; _I’m_ just helping you get there,” Lee says. He catches Neji’s sigh, and completely misinterpreting it, adds, “Don’t worry! I will be keeping an eye on you using my various stealth skills, so you will not really be on your own.”

“I’m not _worried_ , I just don’t want to go on a date with some random person.”

“But he isn’t random! He’s your friend and the object of your love!”

“So _you_ think,” Neji grumbles, but Lee doesn’t seem to hear. Who could Lee be talking about? Neji runs through a list of possible candidates in his head. Kiba? Or maybe Shikamaru? Or...what was that bug guy’s name again?

He’s at a loss. He really doesn’t talk to _anyone_ outside his team enough to seem _in love with_ them.

“Lee, can I ask why you’re doing this?”

For a brief, horrifying moment, Neji wonders if Lee actually _has_ figured out his crush, and this is his way of nudging Neji in another direction. But no, that’s too subtle for Lee. Either way, though, the best friend Neji’s been in love with for years trying to set him up with someone else hurts.

“Do you remember when Sakura rejected me last week?” Lee asks.

“Yes,” Neji says. He remembers wanting to help but not knowing how. He remembers wishing Lee would realize Sakura just isn’t right for him, that he could be much happier, that he was just looking in the wrong places.

“When Guy-sensei talked to me afterwards, he told me that helping someone else find love is a step on the road to finding it for yourself!” Lee explains, enthusiastic and determined in a way that worries Neji. “He suggested I begin by helping a teammate!”

Neji had never so wanted to kill Might Guy, which probably isn’t fair, because Lee probably misinterpreted Guy’s words somehow, but still. Why couldn’t Lee have decided to help _Tenten_ instead? Why _him_? “What if I don’t want your help?”

Lee’s enthusiasm finally falters at this, his smile fading. “But...why wouldn’t you? Do you not think I can help?”

“No, it’s not that, I just...don’t want the, ah, _person_ knowing how I feel.”

“You don’t want to be united with your true love? But _why not?_ ” Lee’s yelling suddenly, making Neji flinch away in surprise. “When you’re in love, you should want to share it with the world!”

“Just because you’re in love doesn’t mean everything is automatically sunny and perfect, Lee.”

“What do you mean?”

Of course Lee doesn’t understand this. Of course he can’t reconcile being in love with not wanting the world to know about it. To Lee, being in love is something beautiful. It’s something to be proud of, even when it hurts. And it’s not that Neji disagrees. Loving _is_ beautiful. Loving _Rock Lee_ is beautiful. Years ago, he never would’ve thought himself capable of loving like this. Lee has introduced so much warmth and light to Neji’s life, Neji doesn’t know where he’d be without Lee. Doesn’t know what would happen to him if he lost Lee now.

That’s the difference between them-- Lee never thinks about _consequences._

“We can’t all be like you, Lee. We can’t just go up to someone we love and completely bare ourselves to them.”

“Why not?”

Neji runs a hand through his hair, tries not to let his frustration show. Lee’s just being Lee; Neji can’t fault him for that. “Because some of us don’t want to jeopardize friendships. Because we’ve accepted that our fate is never to have our love returned, and that’s _okay._ ”

“ _Fate_ ? That sounds like the _old_ Neji talking,” Lee says, poking Neji’s chest. “ _My_ Neji believes in making his own fate, and why should that fate not involve being happily in love?”

“You can’t _make_ someone love you back.”

“No, but _of course_ nothing is going to come of your love unless you _try!_ I do not see how you can have such a defeatist attitude.”

“I just don’t want to risk what I have with him,” Neji says quietly, trailing behind Lee. Why can’t Lee just _drop it_? Well...because he’s Rock Lee, that’s why. And if he dropped an ideal like this so quickly, he wouldn’t be the person Neji’s in love with.

“But if your love is returned, the risk is worth it!” Lee says, forging on, oblivious to Neji’s turmoil.

“You would know, would you?” Neji mumbles.

Lee’s mouth snaps shut.

Neji cringes, already regretting saying anything. That was a low blow, and he shouldn’t have taken it. “I’m sorry, Lee.”

“No, you are right. I do _not_ know, but if I loved someone like you clearly do, I would be willing to take the risks to find out.”

Neji studies Lee, his mind caught on the word “if.” Does Lee not love Sakura, or is Neji just reading into it?

“But anyway,” Lee continues, “All your worrying is for nothing! I _told him_ this is a date, and he very excitedly said yes!”

“Him? Him who?” Oh, right. They’re on the way to some convoluted blind date. “Lee, who exactly is this date supposed to be with?”

Instead of answering, Lee finally stops, and it takes Neji only two seconds to realize they’re standing outside Ichiraku Ramen. If it wasn’t for Lee’s firm grip on his wrist, Neji would have, in that moment, taken off running in the opposite direction.

Lee has to forcibly drag Neji into the small ramen shop, Neji dragging his feet and fighting Lee the whole way. 

“Do not worry, Neji! You’ll do great!”

Naruto looks up at the sound of Lee’s voice. He doesn’t miss Neji’s reluctance, or the way Lee has to drag Neji inside, and he looks ready to burst out laughing. “There you are! You were taking too long to get here and I’m _starving_ , so I just went ahead and ordered.”

“Hello, Naruto!” Lee says. “I’m sure Neji doesn’t mind.”

“Not even slightly. Hello...Naruto,” Neji echoes.

Lee beams at him, obviously pleased Neji’s behaving himself. “Good! Well I...have a place to be, so I must be going.”

Naruto snorts. “Uh huh. See ya.”

Neji and Naruto both watch Lee leave, then simultaneously turn to look at each other. An awkward silence settles between them, and Neji just hovers in the doorway, not venturing any closer.

“So,” Naruto says eventually, “You’re in love with me, huh? Gee, Neji, I had no idea.”

Neji feels his face flush. “Listen, Naruto, I’m not-- are you messing with me?”

He’d been wary of the mischievous glint in Naruto’s eye since they walked in, but Naruto’s full-out laughing, now. “ _No duh_ , I am. I know this is just some weird scheme of Bushy Brows’.”

“You do?” Neji asks, relieved.

“Oh, sure. I didn’t at first. When Bushy Brows first asked, I hit him and yelled for like a minute. But when I figured it out, I said yes. After I finished laughing, anyway.”

Neji purses his lips. “Why say yes at all?”

Naruto grins. “Because if this is a date, I figured I’d get free ramen out of it. And because I thought it would be funny to see the look on your face.”

“And was it?” Neji asks, scowling.

“Oh, yeah,” Naruto cackles. “Well, are you gonna eat some ramen with me or not?”

Neji’s about to excuse himself when his stomach growls. So instead, he sighs and takes the open seat next to Naruto.Naruto’s food arrives a second later, and Neji orders while Naruto enthusiastically digs in.

“I mean,” Naruto begins around a mouthful of ramen, “It makes sense I’m the first one Bushy Brows thought of— who _wouldn’t_ want to date me— but why’s he trying to set you up in the first place?”

Neji watches Naruto talk and eat at the same time with distaste. “He thought of Tenten first, actually.”

Naruto snickers into his ramen.

“Guy apparently said something to inspire his philanthropic side.”

“Ah.”

“Mhm. He’s decided I’m in love with someone and that I’ll never be with them unless he helps.”

Naruto shovels more ramen into his mouth. “Well you _are_ , aren’t you?”

Neji’s so busy wondering why Naruto didn’t just ask the question _before_ he ate more than he almost misses its implications. “Excuse me?”

Naruto swallows. “I mean, he’s not _wrong_ ,” he says slowly. “You _are_ in love with someone. It’s just the oblivious idiot who’s trying to set you up.”

Neji stares at Naruto in horror. He can feel his face heating up, a feeling he’s unfortunately become too familiar with these past few weeks. If his crush is so obvious that even _Naruto_ knows about it... “Why would you think that?”

“Hey!” Naruto spins on his stool to glare at Neji. “Do I _look_ like an idiot? You have to be dumb as Lee not to figure it out.”

“Naruto,” Neji warns.

“Yeah, yeah,” Naruto says, waving his chopsticks around. “He’s an excellent shinobi, you’re honored to be on his team, watching him grow has inspired you to be better, blah, blah. This is why everyone in the village knows about your crush, you know.”

“Oh, _you’re_ one to talk,” Neji snaps. “At least the whole _world_ doesn’t know about mine.”

“Hey! What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Neji just arches an eyebrow at him, as if to say “ _Really?”_

“ _You_ ...” Naruto growls, pointing a chopstick at Neji. “You shut up, or I’ll tell Lee who you _really_ want to go on a date with.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I so would.”

Their stare-off is interrupted by the arrival of Neji’s food. He’s so hungry, he doesn’t think ramen has ever looked so appetizing.

“I don’t see what the big deal is,” Naruto says after a minute of eating in silence. “Just tell him so he doesn’t keep setting you up on random dates, since he’s apparently so determined. It’s _Rock Lee,_ you know? He’s not gonna care.”

“Thanks, Naruto. ‘He’s not going to care’ is exactly what I needed to hear.”

“Well, I mean...” Naruto waves a hand around, trying to figure out the words. “He’s not gonna be _offended_ , you know? Even if he doesn’t like you the same way, he’ll just be happy you think so well of him. Since he looks up to you so much. I don’t think it’d make things weird, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

Neji can’t believe that this is _Naruto_ talking, that what _Naruto’s_ saying actually makes sense.

“I dunno,” Naruto continues quietly, more subdued than he’d been a moment ago. His eyes are distant. “When you _really_ love someone, I think letting them know they’re loved should be more important than whatever happens to you because of it. You should want to tell them over and over again, even if it hurts.”

“And anyway,” Naruto continues, brightening a little, “It sucks always being the goofball, you know? Me and Bushy Brows aren’t like you or Sasuke. People don’t see us the same way. If you think about it, Lee’s maybe _never_ had anyone like him like that, which _sucks_. So like I said, I think he’d just be happy if you told him.”

“Hm.”

Naruto snaps out of whatever thoughtful mood he’d slipped into and shrugs. “Hey, maybe he doesn’t realize it’s _him_ you’re in love with because he doesn’t even think it’s a possibility.”

“Lee doesn’t think like that, ” Neji says, shaking his head. He can’t help but think of Lee’s relentless pursuit of Sakura. “‘Impossible’ isn’t a word he understands.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Naruto says with another shrug. “You gonna finish that?”

Neji glances down at his half-finished bowl of ramen and wordlessly pushes it over to Naruto. He has to admit, Naruto made some good points. Lee’s been getting more and more down after Sakura’s rejections, so if there’s something Neji can do to restore Lee’s confidence, he should be willing to do it, right?

Plus, at this rate, Lee’s going to figure it out eventually. He’s not going to give up on Neji’s love life until he does. It’s better if Neji just tells him. Gets it over with. He stands, his mind made up. “I’m going to tell him.”

“Good,” Naruto says. Then, “You’re going to pay for the ramen first , though, right?”

Neji stares at Naruto. Naruto stares back. Neji sighs and pulls out his wallet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Got bogged down by school, then this chapter turned out to be longer than I expected (long enough that I had to split it in half-- but that means I'm almost finished with the next chapter, too, which will be the last!)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last Chapter!!!! Thank you guys for sticking with this fic! If you enjoyed it, you can buy me a coffee at: http://ko-fi.com/anaphiel (It's a great way of encouraging me to keep writing for the fandom, just saying. I'm currently thinking about writing a Sakura/Ino or an Itachi/Shisui fic, but you can also drop other suggestions on the ko-fi page!)

After leaving Neji in Naruto’s care, Lee makes a show of leaving in case either of them are watching him go. He starts off down the street, and only after glancing over his shoulder and making sure he’s well and truly out of sight, he ducks and rolls to the other side of the path and sneaks back toward Ichiraku. A patch of bushes sits across the narrow path from the ramen shop, he knows— he knows because he’s had a whole  _ week _ to prepare for this date, and  _ of course _ he scouted the area ahead of time. It’s there Lee intends to hunker down and spend the rest of the date, crouched in the ample coverage the prickly bushes provide. It won’t be comfortable, but that is the nature of sacrifice, after all, and Neji  _ needs  _ him.

Well, perhaps not  _ needs. _ Lee knows Neji would conceivably be fine on his own, without Lee watching over him, but it’s just...Neji’s social skills are even worse than Lee’s, which is saying something. It’s best for Neji  _ and _ Naruto’s future if Lee keeps watch, prepared to intervene if things do not go well. Besides, he  _ promised _ Neji he would be there, and he is not going back on that promise.

It takes Lee a while to situate himself in the bushes. He drops onto his stomach and crawls between them, positioning himself so he can see underneath and past Ichiraku’s curtains. And yes, there are Neji and Naruto, Naruto sitting at the counter still and Neji standing several feet away. Lee pushes a pointy branch away from his back and tugs at a rather uncomfortable wedgie. These jumpsuits weren’t made for crawling around in bushes, exactly.

When Lee returns his attention to the date, Neji’s moved. He’s sitting next to Naruto, now, and already, he doesn’t seem as nervous as before. In fact, if Lee’s reading Neji’s body language correctly— and  _ of course _ he is, he knows Neji better than  _ anyone—  _ he’s actually pleased. Lee only has a moment to bask in the smug satisfaction before he’s hit by something darker. He  _ knew _ knew the date would go well if Neji gave it a chance, but...

He’d sort of been hoping Neji wouldn’t.

The thought doesn’t surprise him, though this is the first time he’s been able to put it to words. Ever since asking Naruto out for Neji, he’s felt uneasy, like all the times he’s tried to work out after eating a large meal. His workouts have been off all week, because every time he tries to go for a run or do five hundred push-ups or  _ whatever _ , it gives him too much time to think. Time to think about Neji and Naruto...dating.

What Lee  _ doesn’t _ understand, however, is  _ why _ he feels this way. He’s worked so hard to help connect Neji with the person he loves, so why does he keep hoping it will fall through. It’s... _ great _ that Neji has love, now. And that Lee was able to help him get it.

Lee shakes himself, turns his attention back to Ichiraku. If this keeps up, he may have to pick up a hobby to keep himself from thinking so much. Perhaps he will ask Kakashi-sensei for book recommendations.

Lee squints at Neji and Naruto’s backs. What might they be talking about? He tries to imagine how the conversation’s going. Maybe they’re talking about the food, or how much they’re looking forward to their lives together. Beyond that, Lee doesn’t have much luck. What exactly does one say when they’ve  _ finally  _ found love after a lifetime of waiting? It is beyond a doubt, in Lee’s mind, the most important moment in anyone’s life. He tries to imagine what  _ he’d  _ say if Sakura ever returned his love.

Only...that doesn’t feel right, either. It doesn’t feel bad, like seeing Neji and Naruto together does. It doesn’t feel like  _ anything _ , it’s just...awkward. It  _ should  _ make Lee happy, give him a rush of joy or excitement or nervousness or...or  _ something, _ right?

This is one of the things he’s been thinking about all week, actually. He had to figure out who Neji is in love with, which was...a process. Lee by no means considers himself an expert on matters of love, but he  _ thought _ he knew it well enough to spot the symptoms. Neji however, exhibits no symptoms. Figuring out who he loves, therefore, required a lot of musing over the  _ nature  _ of love. First, Lee thought, who are the possible options? He’d ruled out the most obvious choices, but Neji doesn’t talk to many people beyond those. So then, he wondered, is it even possible to love someone you barely know?

At this point in his detective work, he’d gotten distracted thinking about Sakura.  _ Is _ it possible to love someone you barely know? What does love look like? What does it feel like? What does it  _ mean _ to love someone? How do you know when you’re in love?

In figuring out Neji’s love life, he’d inadvertently figured out a big piece of his own: he does  _ not _ love Sakura.

Somewhere along the way, he got it wrong. Watching Neji and Naruto now, he knows it to be true, because  _ this _ is making him feel more than thoughts of Sakura ever have. He places a hand over his heart, as if he will physically be able to feel the guilt welling there. He feels guilty for lying to Sakura, for lying to  _ everyone _ , to being so jealous over Neji and Naruto— Lee stops. Is it jealousy? Is that what this gross feeling is? He’s not  _ entirely _ unfamiliar with the concept. He’s been jealous before, watching the other shinobi of his generation advance in their mastery of ninjustsu, but usually he’s able to shake it off by challenging himself to work harder. This is different.

Oh, Naruto’s laughing. Did Neji say something funny? Neji’s turned toward the counter currently, so Lee can’t quite see his expression, but he’s pretty sure he can imagine it— not quite smiling, but clearly pleased and clearly surprised. Neji tends not to realize when he’s said something funny, not until Lee or Tenten are laughing.

Alone, hiding in the bushes, Lee smiles fondly to himself. He shifts, then, to tug down his jumpsuit, which had been riding up again, and when he looks up again, Neji is facing Naruto, looking at him with a small soft smile that’s usually reserved for Lee.

Lee feels like somebody just dumped a bucket of ice water over his head. No, Guy-sensei has done that before, as part of a new, intensive training regime, and this feels  _ worse _ . Suddenly, Lee can’t watch this anymore, no matter what he promised Neji. That gross feeling— _ jealously _ , it is  _ most certainly _ jealousy— is overwhelming, now, and Lee finally knows why. He begins wiggling his way backward out of the bushes, but he freezes when someone sits on the bench right next to his hiding spot.

He can’t turn his head, can’t look and see who it is; any movement on his part, any rustling of the bushes, would alert the newcomer to his presence, and  _ this _ sure would be an awkward situation to explain. A branch he’d been holding back snaps forward to hit him in the face, but Lee, a trained ninja and stealth master, doesn’t react. The small leaves, though, tickle his face and nose, and no amount of training would have been able to prevent his sudden, loud, “ _ Ah-CHOO!” _

He stays very still.

“Lee?”

Lee cringes, then wiggles the rest of the way out of the bushes. When he finally makes it out and pops up onto his knees, leaves in his hair and an apology on his tongue, he falters when he sees who’s sitting on the bench. Lee’s been close to death many times, but never  _ this  _ close. In this moment, Sakura looks  _ remarkably _ similar to Tsunade. A muscle is jumping in her jaw, and her gaze is  _ fixed  _ on Lee. He has no doubt that she’s ready to clock him if he doesn’t offer a good explanation  _ immediately _ .

“Oh! Hello, Sakura,” Lee says in a weak voice.

“Lee,  _ why _ are you hiding in the bushes?” She asks, narrowing her eyes.

“I was not doing anything untoward, I promise!” He points at Ichiraku. “I was merely trying to watch Neji and Naruto’s date.”

Whatever Sakura was expecting Lee to say, it  _ clearly _ wasn’t that. Her eyes widen and her head snaps toward Ichiraku. She leans over on the bench so she can see below Ichiraku’s curtains, but when she does, she sits up and looks at Lee, something wicked gleaming in her eyes. “Lee, will you come sit by me?”

As Lee does, he realizes the sight of Sakura doesn’t make his heart beat faster. It doesn’t make him go weak at the knees, or feel anything being in love is supposed to make you feel. Sitting next to her doesn’t make him feel nervous, or warm, or happy, or comfortable. Just… apprehensive. How did he not notice it sooner?

“Lee,” Sakura begins in a sweet voice. “Can you tell me why Neji and Naruto are on a date?”

“I set them up,” Lee says.

Sakura blinks at Lee. “Um...why? It’s not exactly the first match for  _ either of them _ I’d think of.”

Lee can feel himself sliding down the bench. “Well...when you turned me down last week—,” Sakura shifts away from Lee a little at the reminder, “—Guy-sensei informed me that I was so obsessed with my own quest for love that I was overlooking the suffering of my own teammates, who were also caught up in the pangs of unrequited love. He said that maybe, if I helped  _ them _ , I may be able to find love for myself.”

“Right,” Sakura says slowly, “So your solution was to set Neji up with  _ Naruto.” _

“I tried setting him up with Tenten first,” Lee says with a sigh.

“Okay,” Sakura says. Lee glances at her, and she’s obviously fighting a smile, now. “And you’re spying on them from the bushes because...”

“I was not  _ spying _ !” Lee squawks, even though that’s exactly what he had been doing.

Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve been speaking more than a minute and Lee still hasn’t tried to ask her out, or the fact that Lee’s slumped so far on the bench that he’s falling off, but Sakura seems to realize something’s wrong. Her smile softens. “Lee, is everything okay?”

“Of course it is,” Lee says miserably, “I am in the springtime of my youth, it is a lovely day, my best friend is happy and in love...”

“Lee, Neji and Naruto are friends, but I can’t see them ever being anything more.” She leans over again to get another peek past the curtains. “That doesn’t look like anything more than friends talking, to me.”

“If  _ that _ is the case,” Lee groans, “Then I am still a failure. That means I still have not figured out who Neji is in love with, and I have failed in securing his happiness.”

“Lee...”

“If I cannot help  _ Neji _ find love,” Lee continues, finally voicing a worry that’s been nagging at him for a week, “How can I ever help myself find it?”

“ _ Lee.” _ Sakura says, her tone making Lee stop and look at her. “I’m not even going to  _ pretend _ to understand you or Guy, but have you considered that,  _ maybe _ , Guy’s speech was a way of letting you know that one of your teammates—Neji—is in love with  _ you _ ? And that you just haven’t realized it because you’ve been so...distracted?”

Lee blinks at her, his brain gone to static. What was it Guy-sensei had said to him, exactly? Something about... _ Oh. _ Lee can hear Guy’s words echoing around in his brain: “Sometimes, people just aren’t compatible with the people they want to be compatible with. And that’s okay. Sometimes, you can find what you’re looking for if you recognize that and turn to someone else. Have you ever considered anyone else, Lee?”

“Oh,” Lee says.

“There you go.”

It was after  _ that _ Guy had started talking about Lee’s teammates and unrequited love, which means...Lee shakes his head. “But...it’s  _ Neji _ .”

“And you’re  _ Rock Lee _ ,” Sakura says, elbowing him in a way that was probably meant to be playful but was certainly going to leave a bruise. “Would you say I’m smart, Lee?”

Lee nods solemnly, eyes wide. “You’re the smartest person I know.”

“Well I’d be willing to bet that Neji is  _ totally _ in love with you.”

Lee can only stare at her, mouth hanging open. Now,  _ finally _ , his heart is beating faster, his nerves are jittery. He sits up eagerly. “Really? Sakura, may I ask you a personal question?”

“Uh...Sure?”

“How do you know when you are in love?”

Sakura blushes. “Oh, I...I’m not sure, really. I’d have to...Let’s see. You want to be around them all the time, I think. You know all their flaws but you care about them anyway. You want what’s best for them, and you’ll do whatever you can and let go of whatever you need to to make them happy.”

“I see.”

“Love’s not this big, world-changing thing, Lee,” Sakura says. “It’s not fireworks or a flashy gesture or a dramatic confession. Real love is soft. At least, I think so. It’s comfortable and warm and perfect.”

“It is as I feared,” Lee sighs. “Sakura, I am so sorry. I am not in love with you.”

Sakura lets out a surprised laugh, then, and claps a hand over her mouth. “I figured, Lee.”

“You did?”

“You took one look at me and decided you were in love. It doesn’t work like that, Lee.”

“You are  _ so _ smart, Sakura.”

“So,” Sakura begins, a sly smile spreading across her face, “You’re not in love with me, but you  _ are _ in love with  _ someone _ , aren’t you?”

“I have not yet decided if—,”

“Liar! You’re blushing,” Sakura says, delighted. “You  _ are _ .”

Lee claps his hands over his cheeks. “I may be in love with Neji.”

“Hah! I  _ knew _ it. Ino totally owes me dinner. So? Are you going to tell him?”

Lee hesitates. He understands, now, what Neji meant about not wanting to risk friendships. He stands by what he said to Neji, though, about love being worth the risks. The important things in life are  _ never _ easy, Lee knows from experience. Anything that’s worth anything will be scary, and frustrating, and difficult, love most of all.

But then Lee remembers the way Neji smiled at Naruto. What Sakura said about love earlier was right— if Neji’s happy with Naruto, Lee does not want to get in the way of that happiness. He sighs and slumps against the bench.

“Only if things do not work out with Naruto.”

“Well, looks like things didn’t work out with Naruto! Here’s your chance.”

Lee looks up at Sakura, then follows her gaze over to Ichiraku. Neji’s standing at the doorway, watching them with an unreadable expression. When Lee catches him staring, he starts and walks away without a word, headed— presumably— home. Lee looks at Sakura helplessly, and she gives him a little push off the bench. “Go after him, dummy!”

“Oh. Right. Thank you for your help, Sakura!”

“Anytime, Lee. Now go on!”

Neji doesn’t really know what he expected to come from his conversation with Lee; he hadn’t gotten that far. He  _ hadn’t _ , of course, expected to find Lee sitting right outside Ichiraku, as if waiting for him. He also hadn’t been expecting to see Lee sitting with Sakura, the two of them chatting like old friends.

Neji likes knowing what to expect. He’s used to it. So he just walks away, even though he hates himself a little for doing it, rethinking his plan to tell Lee about his feelings. He does slow, though, when he hears Lee call his name. A second later, there’s a hand on his arm pulling him to a stop, making him turn around and face Lee.

“I am glad I caught you!” is the first thing Lee says. Neji glances over his shoulder, where, down the path, he can still see Sakura sitting on the bench watching them.

“You didn’t have to come after me, Lee,” Neji says stiffly. “It looked like you and Sakura were getting along well.”

“Oh. Yes, but I would rather talk to you!”

_ This _ makes Neji look at Lee fully. “What, really?”

“Of course! Neji, you are my best friend!” Lee says. When Neji doesn’t respond, he continues, “How was the date?”

Neji sighs. “It wasn’t a date, Lee. Naruto’s not interested, and neither am I.”

“I see,” Lee says. He’s exhibiting signs of the same jittery excitement he gets when they’re assigned a dangerous mission or when Guy announces a new training regime. When Neji just narrows his eyes at Lee, Lee gives him a smile and a thumbs up. “I have one more date for you to go on, then.”

“No, Lee,” Neji groans. “No more dates.”

“But—,”

“Lee, do you really want to know who I am in love with? Because I’ll tell you, if it means you stop this silly game.”

Both Lee’s hand and smile fall. “I...yes.”

Neji sighs and tries to think of the best way to phrase it. Absently, he reaches up and plucks what looks like a small twig out of Lee’s hair. He’s probably imagining the way Lee’s breath hitches, but when he meets Lee’s eyes, all of Lee’s focus is fixed on him.

It’s touching how much Lee apparently cares about his nonexistent love life. It still hurts a little, though.

“It’s  _ you _ , Lee. Of course it’s you.”

Lee twitches, his mouth falling open a little, but the shock passes quickly and then Lee just nods solemnly. “If that is the case, please let me finish what I was about to say.” His smile and thumbs up return, even more enthusiastic than before. “Neji, please go out with me!”

“Huh,” Neji says. Again, not what he expected. “What?”

Lee sucks in a deep breath, and even louder than before, says, “ _ Please _ go out with—,”

“No, no, I heard you,” Neji interrupts quickly, clapping a hand over Lee’s mouth. “I only mean... _ what _ ?”

Lee waits until Neji’s moved his hand to say, “I would like to go on a date with you.”

Neji just stares at Lee.

“You see, it has come to my attention recently that I am, ah, very much in love with you.”

“What?” Neji repeats, dumbly. He’s not quite sure where the rest of his vocabulary disappeared to. He’s also not quite sure he cares.

“Neji, are you feeling okay? You look pale.”

“Yeah, I’m...but you were just talking to Sakura.”

“She was encouraging me to ask you on a date!”

Neji glances over at Sakura again, who grins and waves. “She was?”

“Oh, Neji, you must really be tired from your mission.” Lee grabs Neji’s hand and starts leading him back to his apartment. “You should go home and rest. I understand if you need time to respond to my question—,”

“Idiot,” Neji says, “Of  _ course _ I’ll go out with you.”

Back at Neji’s apartment, Lee kisses Neji for the first time. When he turns to leave, Neji grabs him by the jumpsuit and drags him upstairs.

**Author's Note:**

> Next chapter will probably be up.....tomorrow. Because I'm really excited to continue this fic
> 
> If you're not already, go follow me on twitter! (@anaphiel_) I'm always happy to make new friends on there :D


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